


Rhapsody in Blue

by LeoSuiters



Category: The Venture Bros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 08:10:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17056079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeoSuiters/pseuds/LeoSuiters
Summary: A small fic where the Blue Morpho decides to take Rusty in as his own. A little what-if AU exploration.





	Rhapsody in Blue

Brazil. Brazil was when he made up his mind that Jonas Venture would never be a father.

It wasn’t often that the Blue Morpho accompanied Doctor Venture abroad but something about the allure of an artifact hidden within the Amazon Rainforest was too much to ignore. It was a funerary urn rumored to allow the holder to speak with the dead. Why Jonas Venture, a man of science, would be interested in such an artifact was unknown. Once Jonas wanted something he didn’t stop until he had it so Team Venture was on it’s trail.

Taking ownership of the artifact would be frowned upon by the locals so it was up to the Blue Morpho to steal it from Team Venture before it could be “safely returned”. Once they were back on American soil he would hand it back over the the Team who “bested” him and return home. They had done this song and dance countless times before. When Jonas Venture wanted something he couldn’t have without harming his public image the Blue Morpho takes it for him.

What he didn’t plan on was Rusty Venture being there.

The boy was very young and had no place in the dangerous Amazon yet there he was at Jonas’s side. The young boy wore a pith helmet that was too big for him and was trying to get his father’s attention as they stepped down from the X-1.

“Do you think I look like an explorer dad?” Rusty asked in an excited voice but was promptly ignored.

“Ah, well if isn’t the Blue Morpho,” the scientist said with a knowing grin that was tainted by a momentary annoyance as Rusty tugged on his sleeve to get his attention again. 

“We’ve got to stop meeting like this.” Brushing his son to the side, Jonas shouldered his well-worn adventuring bag that was full of the Team Venture essentials: weapons, medical supplies, maps, and enough alcohol to fuel the X-1’s trip home provided that experimental jets ran off of bourbon of course.

“What is this? Come on Jonas you can’t be serious about bringing him here with you. He’s going to get hurt.” Morpho said with a frown.

Jonas chuckled with that mask-like smile that hide whatever the man was truly thinking. “This isn’t Rusty’s first adventure old friend. Isn’t that right?” Before the child could answer Jonas spoke over him. “You will watch him until it’s time for you to play your role yes BM?” The way the scientist spoke made it clear that it was not a question but an order. “Good! The it’s settled.”

***

They overnighted in Ipanema where the young boy played in the ocean while Jonas and his team trekked through the jungle in search of the funerary urn. To say it was a surprise to be babysitting a young child on a foreign beach would be an understatement. It wasn’t like Morpho didn’t have much experience with children as he had a son of his own but he would never take Malcolm somewhere like this.

How many times had Rusty been injured on these little ‘adventures’ Jonas took him on? How many times had the almost died?

These thoughts consumed the man as he watched the kid amuse himself collecting shells and poking at a small crab that had washed ashore.

Rusty was shy around Morpho, not really making eye contact with him when he asked him anything and answering quietly. There was this underlying mistrust of adults that kept the child from opening up easily. A far cry from the endless energy and instant trust his own son showed when spending time with his parents and visitors to their home.

I don’t blame you kid. I don’t trust them either, especially your father.

Several hours would pass with no word back from Team Venture. As the sun set and night fell Morpho knew that they would not be returning anytime soon.

***

“Do you like eggs?” He asked the boy. It was late in the morning and he had to be hungry by this point. Malcolm would have already had a meltdown if he had gone this long without something to snack on. There were so many differences between the two children but at the core the same basic needs applied. They get hungry, tired, excited, and cranky.

“I love eggs! Did you know that there is a mammal that lays eggs uncle Morpho? It has a bill like a duck’s and a tail like a beaver!” Rusty answered and continued to chat endlessly about the animal he once saw. It was like a floodgate had opened and conversation was nearly constant as Mopho unpacked supplies to reconstitute some powdered eggs for him. He wasn’t much of a cook but the boy wasn’t much of a food critic either.

They had made camp near the X-1 which was landed on a stretch of empty beach where the jungle met the shore. Team Venture had been gone for a day and a half now. Overnight Rusty went from a quiet and reserved child to one bubbling with excitement who was eager to share his thoughts and opinions with Uncle Morpho as he had begun to call him. It felt nice to earn the child’s trust but it was difficult to shake the feeling that it wasn’t often someone listened to the kid.

Being a babysitter was an odd assignment but it could be worse. Compared to some of the things Jonas had him do in the past this was an easy one. Once he figured out that just listening to the boy kept him occupied they fell into a routine easily. While maintaining equipment and doing surveillance on the radio he let the kid talk while he listened and replied. Morpho learned a lot about the kid’s adventures with H.E.L.P.eR. but it was the stories that ended in Rusty having to participate in violence that kept his attention. Of course Jonas would push his own son into doing things no child should ever do.

“A platypus right? It lays eggs and has venom right?”

“Yes!” The boy was bouncing on his toes in excitement. “ It’s REAL name is Ornithorhynchus anatinus and lives in Australia! I saw one in a lab where pops was taking out a bad guy who was being really mean to animals. He wanted to make other things like a platypus and I saw a dog with a mouth like a fish and a weird tail and a man with lobster claws.” Rusty trailed off with a troubled look on his face. “The platypus was dead and pops wasn’t sad about it. He just wanted the bad man’s research papers.” Rusty looked up at Morpho with a frown on his face. “You aren’t going to make me go where the bad guys are, right uncle Morpho?”

“Well you can trust me when I say I would never make you go on any adventures you didn’t want to. No bad guys Rusty.” Morpho answered and gave the boy’s shoulder a squeeze. That small squeeze was met with the kid giving him a big hug which Morpho knelt down to reach at a more comfortable height. Something about how Rusty clung to him during the hold left him with little doubt that hugs were rarely given out. If at all.

***

The next morning the radio finally came to life. The static made if difficult to make out who was speaking as Morpho put the headset on, pressing the earpieces close to listen in to the faint signal.

“Blasted thing is on the fritz! You there ol’ man?’ It was Colonel Gentleman on the line and he was barely audible above the static.

“I read you, go ahead.”

“Got into a spot of trouble out here laddie, might have to call it quits early… Rodney in the trees you damned daft fool!” The sounds of gunfire erupted from the other end of the line followed by a gut-wrenching scream. “Get the boy back stateside on the double!” With another crackle of static and gunfire the line went dead. Removing the headset he turned to Rusty.

“Come on then, we’re heading back. You’ll be staying with me for a little while.” He couldn’t just leave Rusty alone at the Compound and it would be a little suspicious if the Blue Morpho was seen on Venture grounds.

“Is dad coming with us?” Rusty asked. He had returned to the whispering and quiet child that Morpho had spend the first day in Brazil with almost immediately after the radio call came in.

“No he’s not quite done here yet. Go ahead and get onboard the X-1 and I’ll pack up the campground.”

He didn’t have to ask twice as Rusty put his pith helmet back on his head and ran to board the jet. He was happy that his father would not be joining them

***

Their cab came to a stop outside of the Newark home. Rusty’s face was pressed to the glass as he looked out at the large home resting on a small hill. Two people were there waiting on them, a tall woman with red hair wearing a blue dress patterned with butterflies and a skinny boy who was already running down the pathway to the gate.

“You can call me Don now that we are at my home Rusty. I think I can trust you with my secret identity now that we have adventured together.” he said as he smiled at the kid.

“Okay uncle Don.” Rusty smiled back.

He paid the driver and climbed out just in time to catch Malcolm as he jumped at the man all skinny limbs in a hug that was more of an assault of pointy elbows and knees.

“Did you get it did you get it!?” Malcolm asked as his father juggled him in his arms to try and open the door for Rusty to exit the cab.

“Missed you too Malcolm. Always glad to see you say hello to your gifts before your own dad.” From the pocket of his coat Don retrieved a small glass box containing a mounted butterfly and handed it to Malcolm. “This one is called a starry night cracker. Careful with it Malcolm.”

Grabbing the glass box, Malcolm pressed it close to his face as he looked at the butterfly specimen inside as he followed his father up the path to their home. Rusty tried to peek at the deep midnight blue butterfly with brighter blue speckles along it’s wings but Malcolm hid the case in his hands with a frown. “You aren’t allowed to touch it! It’s mine.”

“I want to see it!” the older boy said as he grabbed for the case which was met with a loud shriek from Malcolm as he snatched it away again. 

“Am I seeing two boys not sharing?” Mrs. Fitzcarraldo spoke as she descended the stairs to meet them on the path. Don knew her expression, the way she quirked her brow. She knew something had gone wrong, why else would he be bringing home Jonas Venture’s son?

“He tried to take my gift! It’s mine not his!” their son argued as his mother put an arm around his shoulders to steer him away from the other child. She would have a lot of questions for him and Don needed to work on the answers. It pained him how often he had to lie to his wife but there were just some things she did not need to know about his life. It was better that way. Safer.

***

That night Mrs. Fitzcarraldo saw the the two boys to bed while Don had a nightcap. Malcolm had spend much of the day showing his toys to Rusty and reminding him that he was not allowed to touch any of them. Play time was more Rusty was allowed to watch Malcolm play with things and loud arguing when Rusty touched them anyways. Neither of them were used to sharing but that would have to change.

Don heard his wife coming downstairs before he saw her, the board creaking just before she reached the landing–a comforting reminder that, at least for now, he was home. She turned the corner, offering him a genuine but exhausted smile. Malcolm was a handful but with someone to impress in the house, he had gained a second and even third wind.

“Are they sleeping?” he asked, a drink in hand. Her usual was waiting on her at the table.

Her smile grew, crossing the kitchen to the eat-in nook and sitting. “They are.” He heard the flop of her shoe as she let it drop off her foot. Chasing children certainly had proved to be more tiring that chasing criminals.

His mind raced, a question resting on the tip of his tongue. He knew what had to be done–what should be done. Who in their right mind would leave Rusty in the hands of an indifferent man like Jonas when he could-

“You want to save him.”

Don’s eyes snapped up to hers, his shock overtaken by his absolute adoration of the woman he was lucky enough to marry. Most of the time he was certain she could read his mind–and the rest of the time she needled the truth out of him. But this was one situation where there was no doubt they were on the same page.

“I do.”

Her smile grew, reaching across the table, past her untouched drink to lace her hand over his. “As if there were any other choice.”

“Jonas will come for him.” Even as he said it, he could feel the truth behind it weakening. Jonas was a fickle man. If he ever came for Rusty it would only be when he was an absolute requirement, no doubt for something petty like a photoshoot or a merchandising deal. 

“Let him come,” she leaned further, kissing his hand now. “We’ll be ready for whatever he brings. As a family.”

A family. It was the one thing they had to offer that Jonas never truly could. And maybe that would be enough.

“Yes,” Don sat back in his chair, confidence returning to his voice. “As a family.”


End file.
